Biya regime resumes ENS, ENSET entrance exams after three-year suspension ⁰

After nearly three years of suspension, entrance exams for the Higher Teacher Training Colleges (ENS) and Higher Technical Teacher Training Colleges (ENSET) will officially resume for the 2025–2026 academic year. The announcement was made by Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo in a statement signed on January 13, 2026. According to the document, the decision follows directives from the head of state aimed at revitalizing teacher training nationwide.

To frame the relaunch, the Ministry of Higher Education (Minesup) issued 32 official decrees detailing application procedures and eligibility requirements. Candidates are required to submit a complete application file, including an application form, certified copies of academic diplomas, proof of Cameroonian nationality, identity documents, and, where applicable, medical certificates. The ministry warns that any incomplete application will be automatically rejected.

Eligibility criteria are also clearly defined. Applicants must hold the required diplomas for the targeted program, comply with the maximum age limits set by decree, provide authentic documents, and meet the standards of conduct and integrity required by Minesup. Jacques Fame Ndongo urged candidates to carefully review the decrees in order to prepare their applications “under the best possible conditions.”

Entrance exams for the ENS and ENSET had been suspended since 2023 for budgetary reasons and replaced by admission based solely on application files. The text notes that this system did not guarantee fairness or effective integration into the civil service. On November 6, 2025, during his swearing-in ceremony, President Paul Biya announced the return of the exams, reiterating that youth development is a strategic priority of his new term.

The resumption comes amid high youth unemployment, at a time when access to professional training and public-sector jobs remains a key challenge. The decision is presented as an expression of the president’s stated intention to expand concrete opportunities for training and professional integration for young Cameroonians.

Source: Business in Cameroon